Hand-held and portable electronic devices have become increasingly widespread and are used daily by many consumers. Examples of such devices include cellular phones, pagers, CD and MP3 players, digital organizers, video game units, digital cameras, and many other electronic devices. Most of these hand-held and portable devices rely on battery power while operating and require periodic recharging at an alternating current (AC) outlet. Each device requires its own power adapter, one end of which fits into the AC outlet and the other end into the device. Thus, in order to recharge multiple devices, consumers have to carry, keep track of, and operate multiple power adapters.
Consumer electronics devices (“CED”), such as personal computers, video game consoles, cell phones, and other devices, often utilize accessory devices that operate in connection with the CED. Examples of accessory devices include wireless headsets, audio speakers, and handheld controllers. These accessory devices often operate on battery power, so that they can be used without requiring a connection to a power supply. Frequent use of these battery-powered accessory devices drains the batteries and requires frequent replacement or recharging of the batteries. Frequent replacement of batteries can be expensive, and as a result, many accessory devices utilize rechargeable batteries.
Of the accessory devices, wireless handheld controllers (or video game controllers) are often used by video game players together with the corresponding video game console. Many video games allow multiple players to play concurrently, thereby requiring multiple handheld controllers.
The accessory device is connected to a charging station periodically to recharge the batteries. The charging station and the accessory device have matching plugs or ports that fit together to make a connection. If the plug on the charging station or the accessory device is broken or damaged, the accessory device can no longer be connected to the charging station. These plugs can be small and/or fragile, as the accessory device itself is often a small, compact device. These small plugs can be easily bent or broken, rendering the charging station inoperable. The user has to be careful to connect the plugs slowly, gently, and completely, in order to make a proper connection without damaging the parts.